Improvement in iron cross-ties



clamping-plates Janus-A. cessera., or PHILADELPHIA, rENIvsrLvANIA. AssIexor. or emanata Ins RIGHT fro FRANK c. GOODWIN, orY sans linnen,

` vI lvleaovvswlENT IN IRON Guess-TIES;

Spccilienlion forming pal-tof Letters Patent No. 207,242, dated August 20, 1875i; application filed July I, Iers.v

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, JAMES A. BONNELL, of Philadell'ihi'a, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inthePermanent .Way of Railroads, of which the following is a specification My invention relates to certain improvements In Iron rail-supporting girders or cross-ties for Y railroads; thc objects of my improvements bcatraysverse vertical section of a railroad- ,track wlth my improvements 3, and Fig. 3, a

longitudinalview ofthe track, showing a trans- .,verse section' of the girder.

A is the girder, which is made of metaLpreferably cast-iron, and has flaring sides a. merging into the top b,.tl1'e`latter beingrounded transversely, as, shown in Figs. 1 and 3,'and provided with transverse ribs,V 4as shown in Fig. 2. In the top of the girder, near veach end of the same,'is a recess,towhicl 1is adapted a block, e, of wood or other comparatively cias- I tic material, and two clamping-blocks, d d, of.

metal.

The block lc serves as a support for therail B, which is confined to said block by the inner ends of the clamping-blocks d, said end-s resting upon the pressed firmly down upon the. same by means of suitable bolts and nuts. In order to ret-ain the 'Opposite ends of the clamping-blocks,the ends vof the recesses in the girder are undercut,- and the ends of the clamping-blocks are beveledibr adaptation to said undercut ends of the' recess. i

. Where a joint occurs between two rails the d are provided with vertical extensions f, which bear against the web ofthe rail,y andare secured to thc saine by boltsand` nuts, in the l same manner as ordinary fish4 flanges of the rail, and being' plates, thesc'extensions j' performing the same duty as said fish-plates.

In the recessed portions of the girder, be

heath each block e, are formed. openingsyi,-

which serve to carr 0E any vwater which enters thejrecess, au thus prevent the satura tion of the block e and the tendency to l'rot which would* be caused thereby. To facilitate the passage of the water to these openings'the under side of the block may have longitudinal and transverse grooves formed in it. I

Ribs m are formed on the under side ofthe recessed portions of the girder, these ribs tend- Ing to strengthen said recessed portions and are subjected.- l

Openings g are ,formed -in the sides of 'the girder to lighten the saine', and for the saine purpose the cnds'j of the girder, instead of being' closed, as shown'in the drawing, maybe left open. y

I am aware that a metal'girdertie with ab' ruptlyinclined sides meeting at an abruptly'-v yenable them.- to. resist the strainsv to which they f rounded upper edge 'is shown' inthe English Patent No. 1,009 of 1863 but if' a car left the rails the contact of the wheels-with such ties as these would result disastrously, both to the rollingstock` and to Vthe ties, owing .to the shocks which both would sustain by the attempt of the wheels to pass over the abrupt ridges, presented by the ties.

rounded upper surface, merging with more abrupt curves into the slightly-Haring o'pposite sides of the girder, so that the wheels of a carwhich hasleft the track will ride withoutvery severe shocks over the' girders and overl the ballast between the same, the said ballast extending, as usual, nearly to the tops of the girders. In theevent, also, of a car leaving the track, the ribs on the tcp lof the girder serve .'allel'wi =hthe track, and' thus tend to overcome,

to a certain extent the tendency of one dis-v placed ea-r to drag the others from the track.

I '.Lhe block e progects slightly above fthe 'top of the girder A. so that. the rail bears upon said block alone, andis thereby supported with that `elasticity which is so timportant in' My improved-1- girder, however, has an extended and gentlfto guide the iianges .of the wheels in arline'parthe permane-nt wayof 'a railroad. VThe fastening, however, is perfectly seenrc, owing to lthe firm gripe ofthe blocks d upon the flanges 'of the rail. f

The blocks d can be readily removed orrcplaccd, all that is necessary -in' remo\'ing-fhc block bein g the nnscrewiug of the nut on the -confining-bolt and the elevation of that end of theblockvadjacent to the rail, .so'as to with! A draw itsbcveled end from the undercut end nf the recessin the girder.' In replacing the blockfhisI operation is reversed. p

I do not desire to claim, broadly, a hollow' 'metal rail-supporting girdergnord'o I'cl-aiin the use of an elastic rail-supporting block in connection with such girde but I claim as my inventioni 1. The witlnu-described metal cross-tic or '2 y eem/,aa i

"g'ifrdcr, fl'mving opposite side flanges' or rib's w a, an1l a top'ronuded gently transversely, .and

merging with abrupt curves into the said sides,

all'as set 'foi-th.

7 2.. A- rali-supporting gli-der or tic having a transversely-ribbed top, as and for the purpose set',fort-h. A

.3.. The combinationof the recessed gxrller A, having openings i, with the rails' B, the iu-v terpo'sed elastic blocks c, and clampimybloeks (1,'.as'set forth. l l

i In testimony whereofI have sigur d myname to this specification in the presencr of twosub- 'Scribiu g Witnesses;A

JAMES, A. LOWLL. 

